Crossroads
by warlockwonder
Summary: The Auror life is not what Harry expected. Can he find happiness at the only place he can call home? Professor Fic. Post-War. M/M slash.
1. Chapter 1- A New Chance

**This is my first fanfic so here goes. **

**No copyright infringement intended.**

**All rights are owned by their relevant parties**

The letter came on August 5th as Harry sat down to enjoy his rushed and poorly made hot beverage. Waking up late had not been the plan as sleeping in and not hearing his alarm was not either. The plain brown and old looking Hogwarts owl hooted as it landed and gestured for a treat in the container beside her. With time against him harry only had time to take the letter and feed the now impatient owl a treat before it flew off rather abruptly.

The flushed wizard in his hastily put on auror uniform sighed in trepidation for the monotonous day ahead. 'How had it come to this' Thought Harry as he scoffed down the toast before rushing towards the floo, ready to head to work.

His life had not always been this domestic boredom of wake-up, eat, work, eat, bed. He and Ron had relished the opportunity of becoming aurors after the war. The thrill of the chase, stopping bad guys and fighting crime was what he wanted to do. Or was it? Kingsley Shackelbolt offered places on the team right off the bat a week after the last funeral of the war had taken place.

At this point all three of the golden trio had resided at Grimmauld Place while coming to terms with the war and all who was lost. Ron had been ecstatic with being offered places without having to head through the training. Hermione however chastised him for his abuse of status and demanding they pass the rigorous training that every other member has been through. Much to Ron's dismay Harry sided with Hermione and thus forced them into the training programme the next month.

The training programme was tough. Much more so than either Harry or Ron expected. The training lasted two years before the duo were officially classed as aurors. For two years Harry and Ron each had to shadow a full time auror half of the training time and the rest were learning laws and conduct, whilst regular fitness tests to prove you could keep up with the evading criminals. Ron was paired up with a young male auror named Philip who was incredible at his job. At first glance the man would appear young and inexperienced; however the multitude of spells and apprehension techniques he knew made him the perfect partner.

Harry was not so lucky. Higdon was his name, well, not his first name as he did not permit Harry to call him that. A middle aged man who was rather tall and very intimidating and must have been a slytherin, thought Harry, as he remembers the way in which he extracted information from criminals or pushed his partner in front of himself in a clash of wands. How Higdon passed the entrance exams, nobody knew. Ron in the pub after training would often boast about how amazing Phillip is and laugh at the stories Harry told of Higdon's blundering.

The Two years of training seemed quicker than he would have expected and finally the day of the graduation and becoming a full auror. The ceremony was not as grand as Harry expected, but that did not put a damper on the feeling of success as Kingsley pinned the badge onto Harry's robes. All the Weasley's were in attendance, apart from Charlie, who was away in Romania at the dragon reserve. Molly beamed as she hugged her son and adopted son as they stepped down off the constructed stage. This was a big step in both of their lives and now was only the beginning to a long, fulfilling career.

Three years on and this was not the case. The glamorous life of an auror was not what Harry envisioned when he signed up. Paperwork. It was what he always seemed to be doing and what he could not escape from. The office seemed to be where the man spent his time as one case that maybe only lasts an hour will need four hours of paperwork. The monotony of doing all this work and not getting much action was driving Harry up the wall.

As he stepped out of the floo and into the atrium of the ministry people now ignored him as if he was a ghost, totally forgotten. This pleased Harry immensely as his hero status was something of a nuisance and to be rid of it after seven years was a bonus. A few people looked and he had the rare approach for an autograph, but otherwise nothing, and that suited him just fine.

He stepped into the lift and pushed the button for auror HQ and the device sped into life. The doors chimed as he exited the box and he was instantly greeted by a few of his colleagues. Most of these were women who were trying to catch his eye at their desk, however Harry remained oblivious to the hints the women were giving him and reached his desk with little fuss.

The day's pile of paperwork was huge. It would mostly take all morning and then some to finish it before he could be on call for any jobs. He only managed a few forms before Ron entered and sauntered over to Harry's desk with a grin on this face.

"Morning" called Ron as he ate a muggle breakfast bar in his hand.

"Morning, still craving those bars Mionie' bought last week?"

"Yeah!" Ron exclaimed as crumbs flew from his mouth "Who would have thought it. Breakfast in a bar, genius" Harry rolled his eyes as the fascination the Weasley's have with muggle items.

"Got something to tell you though" Ron stopped eating and his face split into a shit-eating grin as he settled himself on the corner of Harry's desk. Harry waited for Ron to continue. "Hermione's pregnant" The excitement of his face was evidently clear as Harry stood up and embraced his long-time friend.

"Congratulations mate" Harry said with real enthusiasm as he sat back down feeling a little better than he had when he awoke this morning. "When is she due?" Harry asked.

"Around April time I think. I can't wait but I'm worried about being a bad father" Ron suddenly looked sullen and slightly apprehensive as he considered being a father for the first time.

"Don't worry, you have Mionie' who is the brightest witch of our age and you could always speak to your dad about it too. Think of how many kids he has dealt with and you only have the one" Harry exclaimed and Ron looked a bit better after that.

"But what if I mess up?"

"If you do then you learn from your mistakes and then be better in the future you will be fine, look at how you handle Teddy when he visits you know it will be ok"

"I guess so" Ron said and turned to walk away to his own desk. He stopped and turned back.

"Just forgot Hermione is using that new cookbook you got her for our wedding anniversary last week so do you want to come to dinner? And I think she wants to discuss baby names already, you know what she's like" Ron's expression just showed the mere understanding of his beloveds habits and character.

"Ok then, what time?"

"Seven o'clock"

"I'll be there. Not like I've got anything else better to do is it?" He smiled that reserved smile as Ron walked away to his desk to challenge his own pile of paper.

People fluttered around Harry's desk all day bringing reports and forms to fill in. By the time he got his head up to look at the clock it was 3:50pm and 10 minutes until he could leave. Missing lunch had been worth it as the paperwork was almost gone and the feeling of fieldwork tomorrow lifted his spirits considerably. Packing up his things he left the office and floo'd back to his flat. After wiping the soot and dust off his outer robes Harry trudged to the bathroom and took a nice long shower to wash away all the boredom of his job.

'I want to quit' was what he thought as he was drying himself whilst looking in the mirror. 'But what else am I going to do?' That was the question that he needed an answer to. After getting smartly dressed and attempting to tame his hair and failing miserably, Harry returned to the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea. While pouring the milk he noticed the letter from this morning and the wax seal from Hogwarts that is stamped on when the invitations to Hogwarts are sent out. Obviously this was not that type of letter so as Harry walked to the table and sat down he grabbed the letter as his curiosity got the better of him.

Harry recognised the writing instantly after many corrections had been made on his admittedly poor attempts at a transfiguration essay. The letter read:

_Dear Harry,_

_ After many years in the schools service I hope Cedric managed to deliver this letter to you as he is getting beyond the age at which an owl should be working. I hope you are having a successful career as an auror as you wanted, as is Ronald. I am writing to you however to inform you of a vacancy at Hogwarts as the defence against the dark arts professor. This position has been held by Mr Greene from Ireland since the war ended up until now. I am offering you this position first as I believe that your work as an auror and previously as leader of the DA would make you an ideal candidate for the job. I understand your position as an auror is your desired job, but I would like to offer you this position anyway. Please respond with you answer A.S.A.P. Thank-you._

_Professor McGonagall_

_Hogwarts Headmistress_


	2. Chapter 2- Decision Made

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**All rights are owned by their relevant parties**

Harry stared down at the letter in shock. The irony of the situation was overwhelming. The idea of becoming a professor at Hogwarts had never crossed his mind and to have that information thrust upon him so quickly was a surprise. He considered the idea thoughtfully. 'Could this be what I'm looking for?' he thought as he took another swig of tea and set aside the mug once again. 'How would Ron feel about me quitting the aurors?' they had been partners ever since that fateful day on the train where they shared a carriage. The guilt he felt in the pit of his stomach surfaced and he knew he was worried of Ron not liking this decision. 'Wait what decision? Am I already going?' he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Hogwarts was the only placed he could call home. It was his safe haven away from the Dursley's abuse and where Voldemort could not destroy. Just thinking now of walking around the grounds and taking in the sights such as Hagrid's hut or the giant squid in the lake. Even the smell of the hospital wing or the overwhelming sense of magic that surrounds the place made Harry remember the good times over the bad that had happened there. He sighed again. 'I seem to be doing that a lot lately' Harry thought as he picked up a book off the shelf he had been meaning to read and settled down for a few hours until it was time for dinner.

Harry floo'd directly into his two best friend's living room at exactly 7 o'clock. The letter from McGonagall safely tucked away in his back jeans pocket for later discussion. He was greeted warmly by Ron and Hermione and sat down for what smelled like a delicious meal.

"I was thinking of Jessica for a girl and Tyger for the boy? What do you think Harry?" The woman asked while enjoying the beef casserole she had made for the trio.

"Both good names, I like Jessica but Tyger? A little obscure don't you think?" he asked looking to Ron for support who was chewing with gusto and pretending to ignore the conversation.

"What's wrong with Tyger? It's unique and I want something different" she said petulantly as another mouthful was consumed.

Ron then piped up saying "I like Rose, like the flower" he said before going back to his meal.

"That's not bad, I like it as well" said Hermione and Harry nodded agreeing as it was also a nice name.

The conversation lulled for a few minutes as the three continued their food. Harry prepared himself as he started the conversation to what he had been dreading. He didn't really know how to begin so he decided to just blurt it out."I hate my job" Immediately he cringed at the foreword statement and looked down at his plate to avoid the beady eyes of his two best friends.

Hermione spoke up first "About time you admitted it". Harry looked up at her in anticipation only to see her relieved look, exactly the same as she had found out that Harry was alive during the final battle. Harry was confused for a minute and gathered his thoughts and looked at Ron. He also had an identical expression to his wife.

"What?" Harry said dumbfounded as both looked at one another for who was to explain. Eventually Hermione too up the role.

"We could see you have been unhappy for weeks, well months actually. All you do is work and you hate that also. Even Ron could see that you hated your life at the moment"

"HEY!" both males cried as the soon to be mother continued.

"And your job is the first thing you need to change in order to get the life you want and to be happy" she looked relieved again that she had said what was on her mind for the last two months. Neither Ron nor his wife had mentioned it to Harry due to his fiery temper. Hearing the truth from his mouth was a welcome occurrence. She had nearly stepped in a week ago at her wedding anniversary dinner but hoped he would notice what is life was becoming and act upon it.

"Being an auror is not what I hoped. All I do is paperwork and that is not what I want with my life. I need something different before I go mad" he exclaimed glad he could tell someone of his troubles that had plagued him for a while. "I need a change and a new location with something I will enjoy and a new challenge that I can have a go at".

"What about a hobby? Like collecting brooms or a season ticket to puddlemere united or something" Ron suggested.

Hermione looked affronted "Not everything revolves around quiddich Ronald".

"What? It was a good idea" looking at Harry for support until he realised it wasn't coming and then turning back to his food in a mini sulk.

Hermione turned back to Harry saying "What job were you thinking of because you will need an income, even if you could live off the potter and black vaults for a few decades. Which you know I will not approve of you doing nothing" she said with her stern voice as Harry remembered the letter in his back pocket.

"Well I have an Idea" as he pulled out the piece of parchment causing both people at the table to look at one another and their curiosity peaked. "This came earlier today" he said as the letter was passed on to Hermione who placed it in between herself and her husband as they began to read the short passage.

They both finished at roughly the same time and looked up at Harry's face trying to gauge his reaction to the news. Harry smiled warily and instantly Hermione knew that Harry wanted to return to Hogwarts.

"Do it"

"I agree, it will make you happy and we want that more than anything" the wife replied. The knot inside unravelled leaving the boy who lived relieved at the news both friends had given him.

"I wasn't sure how you would react and I spent most of the afternoon thinking after work and I really need a break and this could be what I'm looking for" he rambled while taking the last mouthful of food.

"I'm not gonna lie mate, but I will miss you at work but you need this and even I can see it" the ginger said while finishing his own plate.

"Don't worry about Ron, do what you think is best and if you want the job then go for it. After the DA this will be a breeze" she said clearing the plates of the meal up.

"Thanks guys you are the best" Harry said with real meaning "I mean it I don't know what I would do without you" he said while hugging Hermione. "I'm gonna owl McGonagall in the morning after I quit my job"

"Kingsley won't be too happy" Ron said in a wary tone. After all, Harry was very good at his job even if he hated it so much and to lose someone hardworking like Harry without a replacement would be a blow to the department.

"That won't be a problem. Kingsley loves Harry so he will let him go" the woman stated as she started the washing charm that washed, dried and put away the dishes into the cupboards.

"I don't care what he says, I hate my job and I'm leaving whether he likes it or not" The golden boy said with finality as he shrugged on his coat preparing to leave the quaint little cottage.

"Good for you mate" Ron said as he clapped him on the back and walked over to his wife.

"Bye guys, see you soon." The parting farewells were shared as the man floo'd home.

The next day arrived quickly for Harry as he crawled out of bed (the correct time for once) and showered and god dressed for the day ahead. He scrambled around making some toast and tea while also searching frantically for a quill, parchment and an inkwell. Once procuring all the utensils he sat down to begin his letter.

_Dear Professor McGonagall,_

_ I wish to inform you that I will be honoured to accept your offer of becoming the new DADA professor. The reasons for which are too extensive to discuss in this letter therefore a meeting would be beneficial. Please could we meet at the weekend as I will have to continue my job as an auror as my notice will be handed in today. I look forward to working with you soon _

_Harry Potter _

The letter was neatly folded and sealed with the Black house stamp that once was used by the Black family. The little item had been one that he took from Grimmauld place when removing the furnishings to sell and destroying any dark objects within the premises. With the letter tucked safely in his work robes, he floo'd to the ministry.


	3. Chapter 3- Preparations

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**All rights are owned by their relevant parties**

The ministry was as busy as ever as Harry reached the atrium and headed towards the owl delivery desk or the ODD for short.

"Could you deliver this to Headmistress McGonagall at Hogwarts please" Harry said to the witch as the large desk. She looked up and her eyes widened at the sight of the boy who lived and hastily she replied. "Certainly Mr Potter" she said with a small blush gracing her cheeks.

"Thank you" Harry said and began walking off to the lifts to head to his office.

Harry Potter was a modest man. He was quite short only being 5ft 10in for a male, however with the shaggy, untameable hair, piercing green eyes and well toned body he was very easy on the eye. These details the man overlooks and does not know the power he could hold over people if he worked his charm. The fact was he was VERY attractive, and he didn't know it also added to the allure. Every witch or wizard emits a certain amount of magic that only another wizard can feel and with Harry the sheer power he releases by being in the same room is noticeable, which also makes the man one of the most desirable wizards in the magical community.

Harry steps into the office and is greeted again by the waves of women saying 'Hello' and 'good morning' just like any other day as he makes his way to his desk. The script is about to be broken as Harry then walks to the other end of the floor to the big black door that Kingsley is working in. He tentatively knocks on the door waiting for the man to answer. A quiet 'come in' is heard from behind the thick door so he pushes the door open to see the head auror looking at whom it is that has disturbed his work.

"Harry my boy, come in take a seat." He moves and takes a seat at the large desk that is much tidier than his own he thinks "What can I do for you?" the question is what he expected and trying to find the words is difficult so he decides again to just blurt it out.

"Sorry Kingsley but I have come to hand in my notice. I wish to quit the force" there he had said it. The expression on his bosses' face is one of sadness as he mulls over the words being said.

"May I ask what bought this on? You are one of my best aurors. Why now? I was considering retirement in a few months and hoping that yourself would wish to take over the position" the admission shocked Harry and piqued his interest. But then he quickly realised that the head auror position rarely involved fieldwork and more deskwork which he was trying to leave behind.

"I'm tired of the deskwork and want to do something more worthwhile. I recently received a letter from Hogwarts asking if I wanted the position of defence against the dark arts professor and decided to take up the offer. Sorry this is such short notice" he added looking a bit sheepish and waiting to hear the war veteran's reaction.

"I won't lie to you Harry and say that I'm not disappointed, because I am. But if this is what you really want then I wish you well. If I didn't enjoy my job I wouldn't do it either" he said with a smile before adding "You can clear out your desk on Friday and I will organise a little sending off party as well"

"Ok, thanks sir" Harry said with relief as the hardest part of the process was over. He left the office with a spring in his step back to his desk where he worked at the renewed pile of paper that had appeared over night.

By the time four o'clock rolled around Harry had been out in the field with Ron. They had been investigating a disturbance in a muggle neighbourhood of muggles being spooked by gnomes. This had obviously caused quite a stir and the obliviators were called to clear up the mess. They had both found a wizarding family under the fidelus charm a few hundred metres away from the muggles. The gnomes had escaped and caused havoc in the area and the family had to pay a large sum to the ministry for their troubles. The paperwork for this short endeavour had just been finished as Ron walked over to Harry as he too was about to leave for the day.

"You done it" he asked rather bluntly waiting for the man's reaction.

"Yeah, my last day is on Friday" he said with excitement as they walked to the elevator together.

"I think this could be the making of you" Ron said wistfully as the button for the lift was pressed and the contraption was jerked to life.

"Maybe it will" he said with finality "Cya soon"

"Yeah bye" they both split and headed to different floo's to get home.

Later in the evening the same owl as before 'Cedric was it?' Harry pondered as it pecked impatiently on the window once again. Another Hogwarts sealed letter was dropped and with the owl fed, it flew off back to the owlery at Hogwarts. The sight of the brown bird caused mixed feelings as it always bought back memories of Hedwig to whom the man had loved. He could not bring himself to buy a new bird and relied on the ministry and friends owls for deliveries. This was an inconvenience as many people had said, but it was his choice and he would buy another when he wanted.

He opened the letter quickly and read the reply

_Dear Harry,_

_ I must admit I am deeply shocked in a nice way that you have accepted my proposal and wish to meet with haste as we have much to discuss. May I request the weekend for a meeting? Saturday at 10am at the main gates. I will have to allow you access to the grounds due to the tightened security of the renewed wards. I await your visit and express again my pleasure of welcoming you back to the school._

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Hogwarts Headmistress _

The reply was just what he expected and therefore he folded the letter and put it away. Using a quick tempus charm showed that it was nearly 11pm.'Time for bed Harry' he thought making his way to the bathroom for his nightly ritual. Once in bed he began to think about what it would be like to share his bed with someone, someone to hold and love. The ache in his heart never faded as he fell asleep alone.

The days passed quickly and soon Friday at 4pm came about and Harry returned to the office after delivering a message to the R&D department a floor below. The room was filled with balloons and a huge hand painted sign saying 'good luck Harry'. There was a table full to cakes, biscuits and confectionary delights and everyone waiting to see his reaction. He broke into a full grin as everyone said 'good luck harry' and handed him a plate full of treats, including the favourite treacle tart. "Thanks everyone, it's been a great few years working with you all and I'm sad to move on. I will miss you all but you won't miss me too much I hope" he said as a joke. Everyone in the office was wishing him well and by the time the last of the people had left it was nearly seven o'clock. The only remaining people were Harry himself, Ron, Kingsley and Amanda, a young blond who fawned over Harry ever since she passed the entrance exams two years prior.

"Don't worry mate, me and Kingsley and will clear up. Cya soon, say hi to Nev for me" he said in a cheery tone as the two began clearing up the plates and leftovers, with Ron shovelling in half of it as he went. This made Harry think about seeing his old friend again. With no surprise he had become the herbology professor after two years of private tutelage from Professor Sprout. He remembered the wedding of Neville to Luna a few years ago, having been invited to the exotic wedding outside in a huge marquee.

He exited the office and turned left heading towards the elevators when the sound of running steps echoed from behind him "Stop!" he realised that it was Amanda who had ran around the corner. She stopped a few paces from Harry and proceeded to explain to him profusely "I love you Harry my sweetie, I have waited so long for you and now you are leaving!"She cried causing harry to step back in shock "I only became an auror to be near to you and now we have the connection we can marry!" she said, clearly delusional. She went in for a kiss, however before the woman got close Harry had bolted and got in the lift and was gone before she opened her eyes. The distraught woman pulled herself together and vowed to get her man, one way or another.

'Wow' Harry thought as he managed to floo home without any more mishaps. He had never encountered such a strange woman. 'Maybe that's why I'm not attracted to them' he pondered as he got ready for bed.

The next day saw Harry apparate to the main Hogwarts gate waiting for admittance. He was waiting for a few minutes until the wards changed and the gate opened revealing the old witch, once his transfiguration professor. She greeted him warmly and they took a leisurely walk through the grounds along the path back up to the castle. After the headmistresses insistence that he call her Minerva saying "We are colleagues now, no need for that" the conversation flowed to what Harry had been doing all these years and how McGonagall enjoys being headmistress and the little pleasures with the job. They reached the office and Harry instantly saw the two former headmasters hung upon the wall, one sneering while the other smiled with a twinkle in his eye.

"Let's get down to business" the strict witch stated as she began explaining the details of the job with Harry listening intently. "You will need to peruse the wide range of text books on offer and compile a list for the students of next year after you have drafted your own lesson plans, however Mr Greene has kindly left his own for you to use in the meantime" she said with Harry breathing a sigh of relief as he would be not out of depth as he thought he might have been."The staff common room and private kitchen is on the second floor next to the painting of the goblin rebellion of 1222. As a reminder, breakfast is served at 6am to 8am, lunch at 12 midday till half past 1 and dinner will be served at 5pm till 7pm. You are not obligated to attend meals but you must attend fairly regularly." Harry nodded as she continued "The current head of houses are for Gryffindor Neville Longbottom, Ravenclaw Luna Longbottom, Hufflepuff Hannah Abbot and Slytherin Draco Malfoy." The last name sent shock waves through the boy's body 'what's he doing here?' he wondered but realised that the professor was still speaking "...move into your rooms tomorrow, they are being cleaned at present so once you are settled you can explore as much as you like." She said with a knowing smile.

Harry said his goodbyes and floo'd home, still thinking about what Malfoy was doing at Hogwarts. What would he teach? As he climbed into bed and started to drift off. Unbeknownst to him he was thinking about a silver eyed, blond haired man who never failed to grab his attention.


	4. Chapter 4- Being Civil

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**All rights are owned by their relevant parties**

After a rather uncomfortable night's sleep Harry started packing up his belongings into bags with expanding charms on them. Even with his flat being fairly small, Harry had lots of little trinkets and quite a few books (much to anyone's surprise). The packing took all morning and with multiple breaks for tea in between, by 2 o'clock he was done. Back aching and muscles sore he floo'd to McGonagall's office now he had been accepted by the wards as a member of staff.

"Morning Harry, I see your charms work is still excellent with the expanding charm and featherlight charm in use?" she said with a knowing smile. Harry blushed with the small amount of praise. "Let's show you to your rooms" and with that the old witch took off and down the staircase to the corridors of the castle.

The interior of the castle was very much the same as it had been for the last few decades. There were still the dimly lit halls relying on windows for the light to guide someone's passage through them and the many candles and portraits lining the walls from one end to the next. At the end of the corridor there was often a statue of a sort and was a great place to hide behind if unexpected patrols need to be evaded.

After walking through many corridors and a few staircases, the duo reached the portrait that was to be the door to Harry's living quarters. "Rememberall" Minerva spoke up as the beautiful princess allowed them access. They both stepped into a large sitting room with all the natural furnishings. The centrepiece of the room was the large roaring fireplace on the right hand wall. There were a number of bookshelves that contained many tomes as the woman spoke up "I asked the house elves to add some books on defence and ward spells" she added thoughtfully.

"Thank you" he said already feeling at home in the warm and friendly atmosphere. The cat animagus then proceeded to show the boy who lived the rest of his rooms. He had an en suite bathroom and a kitchen diner which were tastefully decorated in warm colours. The living area was mainly a blue and grey theme, where his bedroom was a red and silver scheme.

"May I remind you that dinner is at 5 o'clock this evening and you will be expected to attend so you can meet your Work colleagues for the year" she said with a small smile "will that be all?"

"That's fine thanks, hopefully I will be done unpacking before dinner" he said, not looking forward to putting all his items around his new home.

"I can send an elf to help you?"

"No thanks, I'll be fine" thinking of how Hermione would disapprove. She nodded and made her way towards the exit and out into the corridor. Harry took a deep breath and contemplated his future. He had a new job, in somewhere he could call home. An aim for in life and being able to give something back after the war really made him feel content. The powerful wizard began opening his suitcase he began pulling all his items out and arranging them. Some of the special items such as his invisibility cloak and marauders map were kept in the chest of draws next to the bed. 'Safe' he thought as he checked the time and realised he had to make his way down to dinner.

After seven years the path was still clear and easy to follow and before he knew it he stood outside the great hall. The man remembered the last time being in this hall walking past all the bodies of his friends and adopted family. Closing his eyes and squaring his shoulders he pushed open the huge wooden doors and began walking to the teachers table at the far end of the room. It seemed he was the last to arrive as he could see all the other mentioned professors there. Some gave more of a welcome than others, Neville standing up and asking how he had been, as did his wife Luna. While others such as Hannah Abbot gave a smile and a nod. But most surprising was Malfoy. He sat not making eye contact staring at the table. The man hadn't changed much as he took in his appearance for almost seven years. His hair was still reasonably short, but was a little longer around the front and ears where it curled slightly. He was still lean and thin but he had broader shoulders than Harry remembered. Plain black robes covered his body which were not dissimilar to what Snape would have worn. There however was an overwhelming sense of sadness resonating from the man with the way his shoulders slumped and he held his body. While taking his seat beside Neville and Malfoy, Harry tried to think of a way of introducing himself. In the end he decided against it, besides, if Malfoy was ignoring him, he would ignore Malfoy.

"Lessons planned yet Harry" Neville asked while in between bites.

"Not yet but Mr Greene kindly left his schedule so I can use them until I have devised my own" he said, Neville and Luna nodding while taking part in the conversation.

"You have a lot of wrackspurts around your head Harry, are you lonely, they want to be your friend because they think you are lonely?" she asked causing the whole table to stop and listen to the strange conversation.

"No, well I don't think so" he said unsure of even himself as the conversation resumed.

Harry and Neville discussed plans to merge their lessons and allow the students to practice defensive spells against some dangerous plants such as the devils snare, which the herbologist grows in a special greenhouse. "It will be good practice against a live opponent" they agreed.

Malfoy was the first to leave the table and start walking away.

"Draco" Neville called as the blond man turned around to face the table "I have the poultice of gilly weed for your class next week" he said "I'll bring it down tomorrow morning"

"Ok" The former death eater mumbled as he then sped out of the room, robes billowing not dissimilar to the former potions professor.

As the door closed Harry couldn't resist to ask "Is he always like that now?" referring to the potions professor. The occupants of the table did not seem fazed and Hannah spoke up.

"Yeah, he doesn't talk much and when he does it's purely professional. He's never rude to any staff, just the kids. I've had to patch up a few of his students after a cauldron explodes while he lectures them about paying attention" she says with a small smile. The young witch had taken over from Madame Pomfrey after an extensive healer course that finished a year previously. Her kind and caring nature made her the perfect candidate for a healer.

Luna then pipes in again with her dreamy voice "He had even more Wrackspurts" and then leaves the table in a flourish as she sweeps out of the room.

The table is left in an awkward silence so Harry decides to get up and leave. He stands and says his goodbyes and then walks back the quarters the raven haired man can call home. Once there he settles down with his book about defensive warding and tries to recap all of the subjects he needs to teach. After a few hours of reading a yawn escapes the man's mouth as he decides to head to bed. After spending time in the bathroom he crawls into bed. Before drifting off he contemplates what has been at the forefront of his mind for the last few hours. 'What happened to Malfoy?', 'Where has the snarky slytherin gone?' After an hour of thinking Harry decides he is going to find out. If what Luna says is true, they are both lonely. 'Could I get to know Malfoy?' he thinks as sleep finally succumbs to him.

The morning after Harry had a new problem. Now deciding he will try and be friendly with Malfoy, he had to find a way of approaching him without scaring him off. The man looked rather skittish the night before and did not look like he wanted to be part of a conversation. As the raven haired man was tidying his office and new classroom he managed to organise all of Professor Greene's schedules and read through them to know what was to come. Feeling quite pleased with himself after this Harry decided to take a walk in the grounds.

The air was cool as the remnants of summer were fading away to autumn while the golden boy strolled around the lake. Another man with blond hair was also taking a walk in the peace and quiet on the far side of the lake. His thoughts were mainly of the new Professor who of which plagued his dreams the previous night. 'Why does he have to show up now?' he thought as the gravel crunched beneath his feet. His life had been quiet ever since returning to Hogwarts, the sneering and taunting quickly stopped after the first year of teaching after the students realised what a good potions professor he was. A smile came to his face as he remembered the owl he received the day after his and mother's trial had finished. The unexpected delight had been Severus' last favour, making sure Draco had a potions master to tutor him to gain his mastery. Those two years had been tough as he and his mother had moved to France for his training. She had settled down and found a small home and decided to stay. In his final year another owl came rather surprisingly, this time from Minerva asking for a potion professor. He had leaped at the chance to be back at his little haven and readily replied. Four years on and here he is, but now the man he was trying to forget was back in his life and disrupting the balance of his world.

Draco Malfoy loved Harry Potter. Maybe from an early age he had envisioned being his friend, then not so after being rejected on the train to the weasel. The urge of friendship had grown to something he could not explain and by the time sixth year came about that chance was lost. His father ruined that, mother and he managed to salvage what they could of the Malfoy name and now it was more in the shadows than the dirt. Being a man it took him a long while to understand his feelings and the extent of those he realised was when he was facing an Azkaban sentence with no witnesses to save he or mother. Then the boy who lived burst into the courtroom with everyone rising to their feet. He then began to relay how mother lied to the dark lord to keep him alive and that Draco refused to notify the golden trio's presence after being taken by snatchers. This in turn allowed them to walk free from the wizengamot. The moment when he realised was when Harry turned to look at him and smiled, a genuine smile, then turned to walk away. He way gone by the time he was released. They both wanted to thank the green eyed man but he was gone, so after receiving the letter he left for France.

He saw the man in question walking towards him in the distance and made a quick turn and started to walk back the way he came, hoping to avoid a nasty confrontation. He didn't want to argue, only to maybe become friends and hopefully more, but even friends seemed like a dream at this point.

Harry noticed the blond man up ahead and saw him change direction and speed off. He broke into a run to catch up, gravel crackling and spewing all over as he sped down the path.

"Malfoy, wait!" he shouted as he caught up to the man

"What Potter?" the man said in a subdued tone.

"How are you?" he asked, inwardly cringing at the answer he was bound to receive.

"I was fine until you showed up" the grey eyed man snapped and started walking away again.

Harry silently fumed at the man and caught up with him quickly "I was just suggesting being civil to one another after everything we've been through" he said sincerely making the blond turn and look at the other to detect any foul play, there was none.

"Ok" he replied warily "but this doesn't make us friends" Harry had expected this and a small smile graced his features

"Fine" he said and they trudged up to the castle side by side, relishing in the others company while not even saying a word.

The day passed quickly for Harry then after reading up on some more defensive magic the end of the day was upon them and Harry went to bed that night more content than he had been for a long time. However down in the dungeons another man was thinking exactly the same thing.


	5. Chapter 5- The Gift

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**All rights are owned by their relevant parties**

Weeks passed and September rolled in with students once again gracing the hall with raucous laughter and childish pranks. The lesson plans worked fine for the most part, the knowledge the students were learning was really helpful. However generally Harry deviated from the plan during the second half of most lessons as he felt a more practical method worked best. This style of teaching reminded him of Remus and his exciting practical lessons with minimal text book learning. He quickly realised this was what he was missing from his 'old life' he had deemed to call it. The teaching and interaction of other young people and watching the happiness when they master a certain spell is what made him realise that the decision to come back here was a good one. He told this to Ron and Hermione as he fire calls them once a week. They both keep in contact with him regularly as Ron does not see his best mate at work every day.

The situation with Malfoy was a strange one as Harry recalled some of the abrupt conversation they have had. The boy who lived was always the instigator of the chat and it only ever lasted for around 3 minutes at the most. It seemed that Malfoy always had somewhere to be and tried to escape the conversation as much as possible. This irked Harry as all he wanted was to make friends, however he would not give up and decided to persevere.

Draco scowled to himself as he scrubbed the recently exploded cauldron that he forgot to stir because his thoughts were on a certain green eyed, handsome wizard who wouldn't leave him alone. The man was always trying to talk to him! He had to keep finding excuses as he was pretty sure Harry only wanted to be friends, where he wanted more. It would hurt too much to be friends and not lovers so he had to keep turning him away. The last time he almost snapped and got angry with the man but couldn't bring himself to do it. The man was his fixation and to lose the only contact with him would be too painful to bear.

He considered speaking to Severus in Minerva's office about the situation; he too had fallen in love with Lily Evans who was out of his reach so maybe he had an idea of how to combat the love lost in this situation. He felt a bit like a girl but what could he do? This was the only idea he had so he had to run with it. Besides, Harry seemed a little down because of Draco's rejection, so the portrait may have an idea of cheering him up, without the green eyed boy finding out he was the instigator.

So, later that evening at the end of September, the potions professor made the long walk from the dungeons to the headmistress's office. He had requested to speak to the portrait in a private room next to her quarters. This idea had came about when he wished to have quiet chats with the ex spy to ask advice on potions or to catch up on the school gossip heading around through the portraits. He also spoke to Dumbledore on occasion after the guilt for his death ate him up. The man had looked Draco in the eye and said "You have nothing to be guilty over my boy; the events were acted out like a play. It was meant to be that I would die one way or another, don't for one second blame yourself" he had said before looking at the young man with a twinkle in his eye. That moment the guilt seemed to have lifted mostly, even if it would never disappear altogether.

He reached the door to the private room and gathered himself for the embarrassing conversation he was about to have. The door opened after the password was spoken and he made his way into the small room to where the portrait hung. Severus was waiting like always and Draco took a seat into the armchair in the small room.

"Evening Severus"

"Good evening Draco" he said with normality "what can I do for you? This is not our scheduled meeting time?" He asked with curiosity as he rarely liked being handled by house elves and wanting to know the meaning behind the change of scenery.

"I have a small problem" he said very cryptically "Potter won't leave me alone and keeps trying to talk to me" the man exclaimed with a huff. The former headmaster fought back a smile at the look of the young man's face. His look was one of unrequited love, or so he believed.

"You should be happy about this, no? You like him and he wants to talk to you?" the man asked already predicting his answer.

"Yes" he said with a blush "but he doesn't like me in the same way, and I won't become his friend if I can't be more than that" the blond petulantly exclaimed.

The next line of conversation shocked Draco "I was already friends with Lily before I realised that I loved her. I held my feelings away behind a mask and never got to express them, and before it was too late she was with Potter" he sneered at the end comment but then continued "I loved her even through that and I had wasted my chance, I wish I had been sooner to tell the truth" he said "don't make the same mistake as me and hide"

"But what can I do? I have no idea how to tell him how I feel." He argued looking more disheartened by the second.

"I have an idea" the painting said before explaining the plan to Draco, the only downside would be he had to wait until Christmas before it could begin.

So he waited. The nights grew darker and the days grew shorter as Draco waited until Christmas for his present to be delivered.

Harry was even more confused. Malfoy never said a word to him again, not one. The conversation stopped dead and he would nod or shake his head at the conversation and walk off. He felt it was a little rude so by mid November he decided to give up. He had tried talking to the man but he was even more withdrawn than before. Even some of the students noticed and rumours that were blatantly untrue started cropping up such as he was a vampire and hadn't fed off muggles for a few months so he was slowly dying. Another was the potions were messing with his head because all he did was work and kept his head down. But Harry knew better and even Neville who he was closest too in the school due to the potions ingredients Draco needed and the growth potions Neville used. He had tried to get the man to open up but nothing was working. So when December came around everyone was on a knife edge as to what to do about the mute teacher. The only people who heard him speak were the pupils when instructing the class.

Harry had made plans for Christmas to spend the day at the burrow with the Weasley's and he craved the family meetings. They were what he wanted to share with a partner at some point. He was the only one left now without a partner to be with during the period at the gathering and that was the only negative of the festive period for him. The morning of Christmas day was the best part as he rushed to get washed and dressed before using the floo to get to the burrow and help with the humungous dinner. The table was set out which had a staggering amount of placements with already lots of food under heating stasis charms so it doesn't get cold. Molly bundled over from the cacophony of pots and pans to envelop the boy in a large hug.

"It's been nearly a month Harry! You know you can come anytime for a meal." She exclaimed before heading back to the pots while Arthur shook his hand and offered him some mulled wine. Ron and a glowing Hermione entered and hugged him from both sides in a golden trio hug. Hermione's belly was now showing and she glowed under the baby inside of her. Harry took the presents he had bought out of his bag and paced them under the tree in the living room, after greeting George and Angelina, Ginny and Dean, Andromeda and little Teddy, Bill and Fleur, and Charlie and his boyfriend Chris who both work at the reserve.

The meal was extensive and delicious as the food was passed around and shared. Elbows bumped together and conversation flowed as they ate the home cooked delights. The main topics of conversation were Hermione's baby names, Arthur's funny duties as minister of magic, Charlie and Chris' adventures with dragons and Harry's new job. This then bought up the topic of Draco in which Ron exclaimed "How can that slimy git be trusted with children!" and after much calming down and Hermione's conversations with Luna about his strange behaviour, Ron seemed more subdued about the idea. Harry then went on to explain about how he has tried to talk to him for months but he won't reply

"Keep going Harry, you never know he'll talk in the end" The brightest witch of their age said and everyone agreed and even Ron rather reluctantly. The whole family blamed the father's actions during the war for Draco's mistakes and no grudges had been held. This comforted Harry for some reason but he let it slide. As Molly and Bill set the Washing up charms for the endless cooking utensils used before all retired to the now expanded living room. All the chairs were full and half had to sit on the floor as the mass present opening could commence. This had been something else Harry had enjoyed and also wish he could share this with someone special. Harry liked to spoil his godson every year and this time was no exception. The young boy was quiddich mad, so the perfect present was his first 'real' broom. At the age of eight he had been deemed old enough for one after using the children's miniature brooms until now. The way his face lit up when he opened it made Harry's heart soar and the boy wanted to try the broom impatiently. The weather being terrible, with snow falling the adults banished the flying attempts but Harry promised when the weather got better, he would take Teddy flying. Everyone opened their presents one by one and by the time they were done and then settled down for a nice chat in front of the fire.

A few hours had passed and Harry was feeling rather sullen after everyone had a partner (or in Teddy's case a mother figure) to spend time with and he was alone. He decided to leave a few hours early, much to everyone's surprise. As he was walking away, Hermione called his name and he turned to face her in the Weasley's hall. "Whats the matter, you look sad, is everything alright?" She said picking up what everyone in the room missed with a look of concern on her face.

"I feel a bit lonely is all" he said rather surprisingly, after a little firewhiskey had loosened his tongue "Everyone has someone and I'm all alone still" his shoulders slumping as the pregnant woman pulled him in for a hug.

"You're a nice guy Harry, you will find someone who cares about the real you and not the golden boy" she said, highlighting the fears he had of being with someone. "Just give it time, go home and relax and enjoy the evening" the witch said as he made his way towards the fireplace

"Love you Mione'" he said making her smile

"Love you too you big sap, now go" she shooed him away as he entered the floo.

The raven haired man exited the fireplace and sat down on the sofa in front of him. He rubbed his hands over his weary face, while contemplating how draining a Weasley gathering could be. It was then he noticed a cube shape box sitting on the coffee table in front of him. The present was wrapped in shiny silver paper and was elegantly tied up with a bow on top. There was a small note on the top as Harry turned it over to read it.

_Merry Christmas_

This vague note giving no clue to the sender of the parcel, the man began casting spell after spell on the box. His auror training and Moody's 'constant vigilance' still taking affect as no hint of dark magic or hex' could be found on the gift. The package was wrapped expertly and the green eyed man took his time in opening it. What he found was a square wooden box that was covered with a white flower, all hand painted by his reckoning. As he spun the box around his heart stopped as he traced the elegantly carved letters on the side of the antique.

_Lily_

This caused him to calm himself as he took in the situation. After a few deep breaths, he pulled himself together and twisted the top of the handle to hear a click as the sides of the clever box design fell flat on the table. Inside was the most beautiful piece of glasswork the man had ever seen. On a small metal stand was a sphere that had the most eyes catching colours and shapes swirled into the glass. It was then he noticed the ball had a clasp, which allowed it to be opened. He tentatively picked up the priceless object and opened it out. Inside were small vials arranged in small pockets inside the glass and each carried a wisp of a memory, he noted. It was then the small piece of parchment on the inside of the box caught his eye as he carefully closed and replaced the ball on its stand. It read

_This is a memory sphere; it is used to hold precious memories. Each vial contains one memory and inside there are 15 slots that can be filled. Enjoy your gift. _

The man's eyes began to water as the enormity of the situation crashed upon him. It contained memories of his mother, special memories for him to see that he had never witnessed before. Who would give him such a special gift? He wiped his eyes and considered who could have owned such a treasure. Only one man sprung to his mind, his former potions professor, Severus Snape. Only he was dead and unable to give this gift from a portrait. So who could it be? He decided he would go and speak to the portrait himself, to ask who could have found and delivered such a precious parcel.


	6. Chapter 6- Declarations

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**All rights are owned by their relevant parties**

Harry crept out and along the corridors in the direction of the headmistress's office. He had his invisibility cloak draped over his cold body after forgetting to put on a coat when leaving his toasty quarters. The marauders map tucked in the back pocket of his jeans as well; the habit of carrying both items was evident as the ultimate night time escapades needed both to be successful. He reached the office and whispered the password 'candy cane' to allow passage. Minerva had kept Dumbledore's tradition of confectionary delights as passwords out of nostalgia; personally Harry would have done the same. The room was dimly lit by candles as he pulled the cloak off, and then checking the map for any sign of his boss finding out about the late night chat.

The portrait in question was wide awake as if he expected the once pupils arrival. "Hello Potter, rule breaking again even when part of the staff I see" he said in that same drawl "What brings you to this office?" he asked as the man sat back in the chair that was inside the portrait.

"I think you know Severus" Harry replied with courage as he took a few steps closer to the picture "Who else would have owned such a beautiful antique that clearly was a reminder of my mother?"

"I do not know what you are talking about boy" the male replied as he clearly tried to hide anything he knew "Even if I did why would I tell you?" and after that the former headmaster turned to walk away.

"Please tell me" Harry said in a quiet pleading voice. Hoping that he could find the sender to thank them for what they had done for him.

"Use your brain Potter, who else could have given you this. They may be closer than you care to look" and with that he left the painting and Harry felt dejected. He just couldn't work out who would have sent him this gift.

"I expected better of you Professor Potter" Harry turned sharply as the headmistress lowered her wand after recognising the intruder.

"Sorry Minerva I needed to talk to Severus" he said still looking glum.

She gave him a strange look "at 11pm on Christmas day?" she said disbelievingly

"Yes I was sent a rather special gift and could only think of professor Snape who would have owned such an item" he said explaining his presence.

"Maybe it was his item to give away?" she said rather intelligently as the cogs started to work in the former aurors brain.

"Has anyone had access to the portrait of Severus recently?" he asked hoping for a positive answer

"Yes" she replied which Harry took as a good sign "Mr Malfoy had regular meetings with Mr Snape regularly" she said as Harry's eyes widened. Malfoy had sent him it. He had to go and see him to make sure.

"Thank you Minerva, sorry to disturb you so late" he said as he was halfway out of the door.

"Try not to make it a regular occurrence" the old woman stated to an empty room as she shook her head. 'Young love' she pondered as her old bones told her to go to bed.

It was 11pm now and sleep still wouldn't find him. Tossing and turning constantly thinking about the gift he gave Harry. 'He won't know it was me, so stop worrying' he told himself 'everything will be fine'. The present was perfect after Severus told him where to find it. It was hidden in Severus' old office that was not Draco's, he relayed the story of how Lily told him about muggle war films where you could remove bricks from walls to hide things behind. Draco only had to find and remove the right brick and it was exactly where the man told him it would. It was a little dusty but after a cleaning spell it was fine, he placed it in the back of his wardrobe until the time came. He overheard Neville talking to Harry about his Christmas day the week before and telling him about going to the Weasley's so Draco had a large window to drop off the gift, after that he floo'd to his mother's cottage in France for his own Christmas dinner. Now returned and in bed he started worrying about the plan.

A few minutes later a knock came at his door. He held his breath as he was not expecting anyone this late. The knocking continued as he slowly crept out of bed and into the living room towards the door.

"Hello, Malfoy are you awake?" he asked rather dumbly as Draco froze near the door. His heart constricted and then he felt the betrayal of Severus creep into his mind 'how could he?' he thought as he opened the door slightly to peer at the nightly intruder.

"What do you want?" he asked rather abruptly as his heart fluttered as he took in the sight of the dishevelled man who had run to reach his quarters.

"Can I come in please?" he asked hoping to not get rejected. They stared at one another for a few seconds before the blond man allowed him entry. Harry walked inside the man's quarters for the first time and found them to be similar to his own, but with fewer trinkets lining the shelves and more books crammed into the shelves.

"What do you want Potter I'm tired and would like to get some sleep" he said rather petulantly but inside he was a bundle of nerves and hoped he hadn't found out his secret.

"I received a rather special gift today" he said as Draco's calm demeanour started to shatter "and I think that you may know something about it" he said in an accusatory tone. The grey eyed man considered his options, there way there was no way he could deny it now and if he did Harry would not believe him.

"Ok I sent you the memory sphere" he said in defeat as he watched the man's reaction. Harry's face broke into a huge grin as he flung himself around Draco and enveloped him in a hug that the grey eyed man had not received since he was very young.

"Thank you so much" he said with real emotion in his voice as he held the other tightly. As he pulled out of the embrace Draco felt a wave of disappointment rush though him as the man stood at arm's length away from him, still with the massive grin on his face and tears in his eyes.

"I have a pensieve" Draco said as the contact was lost "you can borrow it if you want" he said rather unexpectedly, 'where did that come from' he considered as the other man replied.

"That would be brilliant" he proclaimed, the smile not leaving his face, making Draco melt at the sight. The former death eater quickly retrieved the bowl like object and went to hand it to Harry.

"Would you like to come with me?" he asked politely "I'm not sure whether I can do this on my own" he said and then the look that the blond received was a look of vulnerability and one that he could not refuse.

"Ok" he heard himself saying, instantly regretting the decision. 'This will only end in failure' was what was on the man's mind as they both stepped out into the dark corridor towards the defence teachers rooms.

There was no conversation as the two walked back to where the present was residing. Draco thinking about how alluring the man was while in his presence and Harry contemplating on the other mans change of heart regarding building a friendship. Before they knew it they were outside the former auror's quarters as he spoke the password to gain entry. Draco placed the pensieve on the coffee table in front of the fire as harry muttered a spell to generate the flames to keep them both warm. Harry gestured for Draco to take a seat in the chair closest to the fire the other man went to open the memory sphere and collect a vial to view. The grey eyed man muttered the correct spells to activate the pensieve and generate the liquid that the memories must be poured into. Harry then tipped the memory in slowly and gave Draco one last look that said 'thank you' before dropping his head into the silver grey liquid.

_The scene blurred for a few seconds before becoming clearer. On the grass in a meadow, under a huge tree was a young girl, about the age of 10 Harry guessed with red tinted hair and her nose buried in a book. As the scene allowed him to move closer he could see her young beautiful face once again. The sharp green eyes the centrepiece of what could only be described as the epitome of beauty. The girl flicked a few strands of hair behind her head as she continued to read the book. An approaching person could be heard and a young boy, gangly with medium length black hair waved hello to the innocent girl. They greeted one another and sat down talking quietly. It was only then that Harry realised the other man must have been Severus. He also noticed as this was the man's memory he could feel everything the other man could, and at this time there was happiness radiating from the man. The domestic scene to somebody else would have been a waste of time, but to Harry to see his mother so relaxed and happy was like nothing any other present could compete against. The scene blurred and faded away._

Harry pulled himself up from the pensieve and turned to look at Draco, but found him standing instead. He felt moisture on his face to realise he had been crying while inside the magical device. His eyes were puffy and red, he had only cried like this a few times before but never in front of another person before. He started getting all embarrassed and blushed violently while getting a little flustered. Before he could even think again a pair of lips descended on his ownand hands came up to cup his cheeks and wipe away the tears. He felt himself melt into the taller man and wrap his arms around his waist. His eyes were closed and both of their mouths opened slightly as they got used to the idea of kissing one another. Their tongues met in a dance, Draco's was first to take control as the kiss continued. Harry felt like the piece of his life that was missing seemed to slot into place and all his worries and problems faded away.

Draco was elated, there was no way else to describe it. He had taken one look at the other man after he had left the pensieve to see the tears on his face. As if his mind had taken over, his lips surged onto the other man's, shock causing him to freeze up as he may have startled the male and lost his chance forever. But as he wiped away the tears on the boy who lived he felt him relax into the taller mans embrace and their first kiss had begun. The thought of rejection discarded as their emotions took hold and silently told the other of their feelings.

When they finally broke apart Harry noticed the other man was crying also. He seemed to understand the question in his eyes and said.

"I didn't think you would like me" he said rather shyly as the other continued the hug that both of them craved. Harry's heart soared and he realised in the pit of his stomach that he loved this other man. The changed personality and the gift that he had received were perfect and he felt that if he lost Draco then his life would be ruined.

"I-I think I l-love you" he said causing the blond man to stare in shock for half a second before smiling like he had never seen before

"I love you too" he said as Harry beamed back. They held each other for a long time, content with the warmth of having another to share their life with.

"Come to bed" the green eyed man said while the other raised his eyebrow at the suggestive question as the golden boy blushed to the tips of his ears "just to sleep" he said quickly.

"Ok" Draco said, already in pyjamas as they both left hand in hand towards Harry's bedroom. Draco sat on the other mans bed waiting while the other used the bathroom. He had never felt better in all his life now he had someone to share his highs and lows with. Harry stepped into the room in his sleep wear and climbed into the bed with the other man. He gave Draco a long kiss before turning over and allowing the taller man to cuddle up behind him. As he felt the arm of the other man drape across his waist he knew that he had what he wanted; he had found happiness in the only place he could call home. 

**THE END**

**Thanks for reading if you made it to the end. :) **

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